User blog:Darkus Rayne/As Seen Through Crystal Eyes, Chapter 9
It wasn't long after our introductions that Aurora and I called it a night. I took the top bunk if only to help Aurora avoid another fall like the one before. When the morning came, Aurora had already left. Her bed was made up and there was no sign she was ever here. The hallway was already flooded with students as a cannon fired, signalling we only have a few minutes to get to our designated area. Great. I was late. Luckily for me, I knew how to get to Mr. Cal's classroom from the Girls' living quarters. "Students five ninety one through six hundred will need to report to the gymnasium for today's class. Repeat, students five ninety one through six hundred will need to report to the gymnasium for today's class." The intercom booms through the hallways. The announcer was clearly using their normal speaking voice, they weren't yelling, which meant the intercom systems here had to be incredibly loud. I hadn't noticed the placement of the speakers in my first tour through the school. Completely lost and unaware of the Gym's location, I wandered aimlessly through the halls. It wasn't until Miss Snow found me that I was pointed in the right direction. I'd never been down this hall before. The walls were significantly thicker and as I went further down it, I began to hear the sounds of people fighting. Soon sounds of flames and electrical currents made themselves known. This seems to be the more elite wing of the academy. "Twila!" I hear someone shout from behind me. Turning around, I notice the familiar face. The first welcoming one I met here. Reiya Bliss. "I heard your number on the intercom! I'm so glad! The lower ranks barely get any time down here. Don't get nervous, okay? You're gonna have a lot of eyes on you. Good luck!" She smiles, hugs me and walks on. I watch her walk away, not quite sure where to go from here. Everyone assigned here today has already found their designated area. I'm the only one in the hallway now as the cannon fires, signifying that I am late... and out of uniform. I walk further, reaching the source of all the noise. In front of me is a gigantic doorway leading to a gymnasium easily five times the size of the room I saw in the castle just last night. Though this room was filled with a lot more action. Students executing mid-air attacks, free falling from the ceiling just to master aerial techniques. People clashing swords in mid-air, others fighting below, this was an all out war. I noticed that it seemed to be a team effort. The students wore colors. Four different ones. Red, blue, green and yellow jerseys were worn to signify the students' team. The spirited atmosphere filled my lungs, urging me to join in this training, to join the nearest fight and strike down the nearest person with nothing but my hands. But I knew that wasn't what I was here for. I could see the small gathering of classmates far away, they were calling me over, waving to me frantically, but I couldn't move. I couldn't stop watching the fighting. It was when I saw a familiar face that I realized how dangerous this exercise was. Ayomide was airborne, wearing a blue jersey, defending herself the best she could, blocking several fists and swords. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the gym as she fell, sporting a nasty gash on her arm. Instinctively, I rushed forward, grabbing the sword she dropped, defending her from the malicious attacks from those who didn't know when to stop. Once again, I was tapping into a mode I didn't know I had. A subconscious that knew how to fight, that knew to protect what was right. Something Stalaria had lost long ago. "Yoma!" Typhoon shouts, coming into view, her blue jersey barely hanging onto her clothes, one more tug to it and it'd be gone. She immediately got on Ayomide's level and began healing her wounds, screaming at her. "You're gonna be okay, Yoma!" "Twila! Who did that to Yoma? Give me that sword!" Micah forcefully tears the sword from my grip and takes over defending his fallen comrade, pushing the offenders back even. "Go on to your class, you're not supposed to be here. I'll handle this!" He shouts, spinning, cutting one enemy, knocking him down. When I turn away to join my class, Micah is airborne, his foot connecting with another student's face. After a decent walk across the huge gymnasium, I finally reach my class' gathering area. Though Mr. Cal isn't here. Instead, a woman is standing in front of our crowd, barely towering over us. Her gaze is not what intimidates us, instead it's the falcon on a nearby perch that has the group locked in it's sights. "You must be Twila Florentina." The woman says, reaching her hand out to me. I'm hesitant to shake it out of fear that her bird will act unnecessarily. "I'm your co-instructor today. Calamiris will be here shortly. That idiot is normally late, so just act as if I'm your teacher until he gets here." She smiles, shaking my hand. She takes a few steps back, standing beside the falcon. "While few of you know me, all of you have heard my name at least once. I am Kalliope Xenakis and this is Klimmek." She says, motioning to her falcon. "Most of you know I normally teach ranks two hundred through two fifty, but today they're participating in the gymnasium war exercise. Look forward to it, because once you're all trained in combat, you'll be participating in it too. Only then, we'll use the entire gym equipped with obstacles and actual terrain. It's pretty fun. Anyway, you've been learning about the dangers below Stalaria, correct?" She asks. While everyone just nods, Aura steps out in front of the group and bows. "Aura Starr. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Miss Xenakis-" "Just call me Miss Kalliope." She cuts Aura off, waving her on to continue. "Sorry. Miss Kalliope, I was told by Mr. Cal yesterday to let you know where we currently are as well as to let you know that students five ninety nine and six hundred, Twila Florentina and Seren Vasallo missed yesterday's class and will need a refresher. We covered two of the dangers below. The Tree Scalp and the Wendigo. We learned defensive maneuvers as well as combat techniques to fight them." Aura says happily, cracking her knuckles. "What will we learn today?" Aura seemed to be one of the few students that wanted to be here for the military. For others, it seemed as if this was just a safe zone off of the streets, but for her, it seemed almost fun. "I know what Calamiris has taught you, but thanks anyway, Aura." She laughs, stepping back to a box taller than her covered in a large white cloth. I'm surprised I didn't notice it before. "Today, we're actually going to test what you learned against the Tree Scalp. We're going to do something fun, however. Twila Florentina and Seren Vasallo... you two missed yesterday's lesson. So today, you two will fight our friend here." She laughs, elbowing the box, earning a vicious roar and violent shaking from the creature inside. I gasp and raise my hand immediately. "I don't wanna hear it, Florentina. Samuel had to have taught you something. Besides, you'll have your classmates to give you advice." "But my abilities... they're incredibly unstable! I don't know how to control them correctly!" I shout at her "I know. I saw your performance on the television yesterday. Unlike our friend Titus, this one is okay to kill, so have fun." She laughs menacingly, further convincing me that she's crazy. "Could we at least learn about this... thing? Going into a fight with no knowledge is dangerous, isn't it?" I look over to Seren for confirmation, but he's only grinning. "Seren?" "I already know about it." He smiles wickedly, stepping forward. "You do? But you missed yesterday's lesson, how could you know anything about it?" I ask him, stepping in front of him, stopping him from going further. "A close friend. One that no one will ever be able to see." He laughs, pushing me aside. I'm convinced now that I'm the only sane one in this group. Which is pretty sad, considering my mental stability is all but normal after yesterday. "The tree scalp." Miss Kalliope begins, opening a book to show us a picture. It's a grotesque green blob, though there are pictures of it coating trees, particularly areas where branches branch off. "Is a dangerous creature that can shape-shift into whatever it touches. Our scientists are still unable to figure them out, though we do know that they can continue to turn into you years after they've touched you, even after they've touched someone else." "Once they've killed their target, they devour them while still in the shape of the deceased. It's lead to many deaths as our soldiers try to intervene, thinking it to be their comrade, but finding out otherwise too late." Seren breaks in. Where did he learn this? He was in the same place I was yesterday! "Alright. That's all you'll need to know." Miss Kalliope laughs, walking to Seren and I, pushing us forward. "Wait! What will keep everyone else safe?" I scream, trying unsuccessfully to break her grip on my shoulder. With a shove, my question is answered. A glass-like force field surrounds a large area around us, beginning right behind our backs. "What do we do?" I whisper to Seren hopefully, but his eyes are still full of his confusing determination as the cloth falls and the box's walls fall to the floor. It looks just like the pictures, though it's light blue instead of green. "What's with the color?" Seren shouts at the others. "It means it has consumed many soldiers." A girl shouts out, her voice is shaky. Seren sighs and steps forward. He's now the only thing between that blob and me. It oozes forward slowly. "Twila, try to freeze it." Seren pressures me, pulling me forward. I try to do what he asks, but fail. Concentration was never what fueled my abilities. "I can't! Seren what do we do?" I scream, stepping back, pressing my back to the force field, failing to break through it. It speeds forward faster than before, nearly reaching Seren as he jumps out of the way. It continues it's path to me, but I can feel the air getting colder as frost begins forming at my feet. "That's it, Twila! Push it forward!" Seren encourages me. Still terrified, I feel the cold air move forward, as a trail of frost forms to the creature, beginning to freeze it. In an effort to get free, It starts bubbling, or maybe it's doing something else? "Twila! Get out of there! It's changing form!" Seren yells. I do as I'm told, not wanting to face the wrath of a creature that is considered a danger to an army. I'm stopped mid-run, and fall forward. My foot has been caught in an icy grip, and has been frozen to the floor. Rolling over to the best of my abilities, I see a familiar face. His bright blonde hair, his mint green eyes, the necklace I gave him, the one that now lives on my neck. This beast has transformed into my father. Category:Blog posts